Beautiful!

This is Evencia Francois. She was born on July 24, 2008. Her mother left her when she was eight months old and died this past April. Her father is unknown. Evencia was bought by her grandmother. We had trouble getting her to eat and drink the first day she was here but the second day she is eating and drinking well. She cannot walk yet. She weighs about 11 lbs.

Our Land

The new land is ours! It's hard to believe we made the deal! Of course, we've only made the down payment and we have another $30,000 to go but the deal is made and it was a great deal. It's a big house on a large piece of land with lots of room to grow.

Now, I guess, its time to start building and working. After a quick walk through at the new house, and beginning to make a plan, the first thing to do will be build a security wall around the property. It already has a short wall but this will need to be extended up several feet to make our children safe. And then we'll need to work on adding the electrical and plumbing, do some tile work inside, and plaster and paint the ceilings and walls. Then build some kitchen cabinets, bathroom vanities, add windows and doors, get some appliances and build or buy some furniture AND THEN WE CAN MOVE IN THE CHILDREN. All this needs to be done by the first of August when our rent is due again on the current Adoption Home.

We're very excited to have our newest missionary, Audrey Ullery, back with us after a short break in the states. She's getting her program with our girls going again. That brings us to another need. There is no way we are going to be able to complete the babies new home AND build a girls home by the beginning of August. So pray for wisdom as we decide what to do with our 29 beautiful girls.

Moving down the road to our boys' home. Our older boys house is looking awesome. The boys and a group from near Moline, IL have been working all week building closets and desks, and painting, and making their dorm look like a real home. They've also spruced up the mission compound by adding some color and painting some doors, and railings. It looks great.

Shipment

Enjoy these pictures of our shipment of four crates of supplies arriving at our home in Port-de-Paix. Unfortunately, it was quite a rainy day.

Here come the rice and beans.

Look at all the rice and beans!!!

Our interns separating all the clothes.

Praise the Lord for diapers and wipes!!!!

Praise the Lord!

We will have the new land/house in our possession this week. We have paid half down and we're going to pay the other half on contract. The owner also has a depot (shed) full of cement, steel and building materials that we might need. He has offered to sell us what we need of those materials on credit in order to finish the house that is already started on the land. Now as much as this sounds good, we have not yet had to borrow to build anything. We have had to borrow occasionally for food, transportation, or payroll during the last thirteen years but we've always built only when we could raise the money. I truly prefer not to borrow, so pray with me for wisdom. We feel this is the right decision to get these children into a home where the ceilings are not falling in and they aren't so badly overcrowded.

Sabrina's adoption papers have been signed off and are ready for Keith and I to pick them up! We can go and apply for her visa to travel to the U.S.! We are over joyed that this wait is finally over and that our family may now be and travel together!!!!!!